The forest floor crunched beneath my paws as I loped through the underbrush, my nose twitching with each new scent. Liam ran beside me, his silver fur gleaming in the dappled moonlight. We'd been searching for days, following the faintest traces of our stolen moonstone, and exhaustion was starting to set in.
I paused, lifting my muzzle to scent the air. Something was different. Familiar, yet... off.
Liam nudged me with his snout, a questioning whine escaping him.
I shifted back to human form, grimacing at the uncomfortable sensation. Even after all this time, the change never got easier. "I'm not sure," I said, running a hand through my tangled hair. "But something's changed. Can you feel it?"
Liam shifted too, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Yeah," he said slowly. "It's like... static in the air. Magic?"
I nodded, a shiver running down my spine that had nothing to do with my naked state. "Powerful magic. And it's recent."
We quickly dressed, the weight of our mission settling back onto our shoulders. The moonstone wasn't just a pretty rock - it was the heart of our pack, the source of our connection to the moon and to each other. Without it, we were vulnerable. Weakened.
And someone knew exactly how to use that against us.
"We should call the others," Liam said, already reaching for his phone. "If we've finally picked up the trail-"
"Wait," I said, grabbing his wrist. "Look."
Through the trees ahead, a faint glow pulsed. It was barely visible, but to our enhanced senses, it might as well have been a beacon.
Liam tensed beside me. "It could be a trap."
"Probably is," I agreed. "But it's the best lead we've had in days. We can't waste time waiting for backup."
He didn't look happy about it, but Liam nodded. "You're the Alpha. Lead the way."
We crept forward, every sense on high alert. The glow grew stronger as we approached, and with it came a humming energy that made my skin prickle. It felt like the air before a lightning strike, charged and dangerous.
Finally, we reached a small clearing. In the center, hovering a few feet off the ground, was our moonstone.
"That was too easy," Liam muttered, and I couldn't help but agree.
I took a step forward, and the clearing erupted into chaos.
Symbols etched into the ground flared to life, forming a complex pattern of interlocking circles and runes. The moonstone pulsed brighter, and I felt a tugging sensation in my chest, like something was trying to pull my very essence out through my ribcage.
"Skye!" Liam shouted, reaching for me. But an invisible barrier sprang up between us, sending him flying backward with a painful crack.
I tried to move, to run, but my feet were rooted to the spot. The tugging in my chest intensified, and I couldn't hold back a scream as white-hot pain lanced through me.
Through the haze of agony, I saw a figure step out from the shadows. Tall, lithe, with pointed ears and eyes that glowed with an inner light. A Fae.
"My, my," the creature said, its voice melodic and utterly cold. "What a pretty little Alpha we've caught. Your power will make a fine addition to our collection."
I gritted my teeth, fighting against the magic that held me. "Who... are you?" I managed to gasp out.
The Fae's laugh was like breaking glass. "Names have power, little wolf. But you may call me Thorn. It's the last name you'll ever need to know."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Liam struggling to his feet. Blood matted his hair, but his eyes burned with determination. I tried to warn him off, but no words would come.
Thorn noticed my gaze and smirked. "Ah yes, your loyal mate. Don't worry, we have plans for him too. Can't have an Alpha without an Enforcer, after all."
The pain intensified, and I felt something inside me begin to tear. My wolf, my very identity as an Alpha, was being ripped away. I howled, a sound of pure anguish that echoed through the forest.
Suddenly, a new sensation bloomed in my chest. Warm, familiar, yet somehow different. I looked down to see feathers sprouting along my arms, my fingers elongating into talons.
Thorn's eyes widened in surprise. "What's this? You're not just a wolf, are you?"
I didn't understand what was happening, but I seized the opportunity. With a surge of will, I pushed against the magic holding me. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the barrier broke.
I lunged forward, my body shifting and changing in ways I'd never experienced before. I was wolf and bird and something else entirely, a creature of claw and fang and feather.
Thorn stumbled back, fear replacing the smug confidence on its ethereal face. "Impossible," it hissed. "You can't be-"
Whatever it was going to say was cut off as Liam tackled it from behind. They went down in a tangle of limbs, Liam's wolf form snapping and snarling.
I reached for the moonstone, my transformed hand closing around the smooth surface. Power surged through me, familiar and wild and gloriously right.
"Liam!" I shouted, my voice a strange mix of human speech and animal cry. "We need to go! Now!"
He disengaged from Thorn, bounding towards me. The Fae struggled to its feet, blood staining its silvery hair. "You don't know what you're dealing with, Alpha," it snarled. "This isn't over. The Hunt is coming, and-"
The rest of its words were lost as the moonstone's power enveloped us. There was a sensation of falling, of being unmade and remade, and then...
We crashed to the ground in front of our pack house, gasping and disoriented. The moonstone pulsed once in my hand, then went dark.
Liam shifted back, his eyes wide as he stared at me. "Skye," he said softly. "What... what are you?"
I looked down at myself, at the impossible mix of fur and feather and skin. "I don't know," I whispered.
Before I could say more, a scream rang out from inside the pack house. We scrambled to our feet, all thoughts of our bizarre escape forgotten.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
As we burst through the door, the scene that greeted us made my blood run cold. Our pack members lay scattered across the floor, writhing in agony. And standing in the center of the room, a cruel smile on his familiar face, was Jake.
"Welcome home, Alpha," he said, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light. "We've been waiting for you."